State & Local Government Quiz

Concurrent powers are the powers that are shared by states and the federal government. Examples of concurrent powers include building roads, establishing courts, enforcing laws, borrowing money, collecting taxes, and protecting citizens.

The 10th Amendment of the US Constitution states that any powers that are not delegated to the federal government are reserved for the states. Examples of reserved powers include conducting elections, establishing schools, establishing local government, regulating local business, and regulating marriages. Taxation and establishing courts are concurrent powers.

Article VI of the U.S. Constitution contains a supremacy clause declaring federal law “the supreme Law of the Land.” Should a state’s law conflict with federal legislature, it is superseded.

Whenever the federal government enacts a statute or regulation that requires a state or local government to perform certain actions, without providing the funding to implement it, this is known as an unfunded mandate. Such policies are unpopular and often result in legal challenges from the states.

The federal government uses grants-in-aid to encourage states to enact policies with regards to the reserved powers that are consistent with federal initiatives. For example, although the federal government is not constitutionally responsible for education policy, disbursed grant money is often tied to specific education initiatives.

State governments mirror the structure of the U.S. federal government. The three branches exist with checks and balances to ensure they operate fairly and in the best interests of citizens.

Although state constitutions are similar in that they establish the rights and laws for their respective states, they are also unique responses to each people’s specific needs.

The governor is the head of the state executive branch. When a state legislature passes a law, the governor, like the President of the United States, has the power to approve it or veto it. All states are bicameral, except for Nebraska which has a unicameral legislature.

Reynolds v. Sims addressed an imbalance caused by legislative districts based upon acreage. Before this landmark case, legislators from rural districts represented far fewer citizens than their urban counterparts. By redrawing districts according to population, there is more equal representation across the territory.

Many states allow for referendum votes whereby citizens cast a ballot to either approve or reject a law or constitutional amendment. Some referendums are “non-binding,” i.e., their results alone do not pass a law. The opinions of the voters, however, hold tremendous weight and often steer future legislation.

Most states have a sales tax which is levied on goods and services purchased within the state. Excise taxes are levied on specific items like gasoline, tobacco, and alcohol.

While some states have both income and sales taxes, several have only one or the other. For example, Delaware and Montana do not have sales taxes. Neither Alaska nor Nevada have income taxes. These differences in taxation reflect how state governments choose different policies to best suit their citizens.

States often prefer block grants to categorical grants because they offer greater autonomy. Categorical grants are often tied to federal initiatives and exert pressure on state legislature to contribute to federal policy initiatives.

While taxes are the largest source of state revenue, the other sources listed here also generate funds for state government programs and initiatives.

The governor is the head of a state’s executive branch just as the President is the head of the federal government’s executive branch.

State governors have a great deal of responsibility. They command the state’s National Guard, oversee state law enforcement efforts, and propose the state budget for the legislature to approve. The governor’s power, however, is checked by the legislative and judicial branches.

Most state governors have the power to issue line-item vetoes. This means that governors can nullify specific lines or items within a bill without having to veto the entire bill. Congress attempted to grant this power to the U.S. President in 1996, but in 1998 the Supreme Court ruled that this law was unconstitutional.

States control elections within their borders. The Civil War Amendments establish equal access to all citizens, but states can still manipulate access to the polls. Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing district lines in irregular ways to favor a particular voting bloc. Voter I.D. laws can be used to dissuade specific populations from voting. By limiting the number of polling places in certain areas, state officials can create long waits that discourage voting.

Just as the federal judicial branch determines whether laws passed by Congress are constitutional, the state judicial branches determine whether state laws are constitutional

Local governments are granted their power by state governments with the mandate of helping to regulate the day-to-day affairs within municipalities. Local governments adopt many forms that reflect the needs of the community and the constitution of the state.

Local governments usually derive a large portion of their funding from property taxes, income taxes, and state grant money. A smaller portion of their funding comes from fines and fees collected for permits, parking, and licenses.

In the mayor-council government structure adopted by most municipalities, the city council is made up of elected officials who handle legislative responsibilities.

The terms “strong” mayor and “weak” mayor represent the amount of power that a mayor holds in a local government. Strong mayors appoint department heads, draft budgets, have veto power, exercise oversight of the city’s day-to-day operations, and enforce city laws. A strong mayor is elected directly by citizens, and is not a member of the city council. Both strong and weak mayors represent the city on the state, national, and international levels.

City managers are very similar to mayors in terms of responsibility and scope. The major difference being that a city manager is appointed by the city council rather by direct election.

A city commission is a form of local government in which elected officials serve on a board that exercises both legislative and executive powers in order to govern a municipality. In addition to their legislative role, each commissioner is responsible for the administration of at least one department, such as fire, police, public works, or finance. One commissioner may be given the title of mayor, but it generally a symbolic title. Without a strong chief executive, there is often deadlock and inaction, with commissioners acting in the interests of their department, rather than the city government as a whole.

Counties are the largest political and territorial units within a state. They usually include multiple municipalities.